


wish cast into the sky

by babybirdblues



Series: from the very first  [dicktim week 2019] [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Genderfluid Character, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sci-Fi AU, description of injury, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:54:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21849991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babybirdblues/pseuds/babybirdblues
Summary: There’s something to be said for a sturdy ship and the endless expanse of space laid out before you.  Whether it’s good or bad is negligible. Because Tim knows that they’ve never felt more free than when they’re settled in the Redwing just waiting to traverse the stars.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Dick Grayson
Series: from the very first  [dicktim week 2019] [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570708
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38
Collections: Dick Tim Week 2019





	wish cast into the sky

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Here is day 4 -- SPACE/sci-fi au and partners! This is probably going to be a continued work, eventually. But hey, I mean, it's written.

There’s something to be said for a sturdy ship and the endless expanse of space laid out before you. Whether it’s good or bad is negligible. Because Tim knows that they’ve never felt more free than when they’re settled in the Redwing just waiting to traverse the stars.

Not when they ended up on G0-THM -- one of the seediest satellites Tim’s had the pleasure of knowing.

Not when they were adopted by a man Tim thought dead -- now semi-crooked leader of a sort-of-seedy organization called the Family.

Not when they met one Richard Grayson -- for the second time, falling into love as quickly as they fell into his bed.

The only issue Tim really has with space are the Reapers. A shootoff of humanity that mutated in the early days of space travel from too much radiation exposure too quickly -- as ugly as they are vicious and prone to eating their victims alive. Tim would rather not meet up with any of them. But they tend to raid ships in the Outers and Inbetweens. If the area of space isn’t patrolled by the League then chances are you’ll end up on the wrong end of a Reaper attack.

Not like there ever is a right end.

But well, the call of freedom is worth it.

<<<<<>>>>>

There’s a pounding in their head.

And, you know, that’s not so unusual. But the fact that Tim can’t remember the exact cause of it is. If they could open their eyes it would probably help. But Tim can’t. They most likely have head trauma, which is well, not ideal.

So, head trauma. Short term memory loss. A steady, high pitched beeping that’s grating on their already pounding head. Well, shit. That alarm is the low power alarm -- meaning all remaining power has been set to keeping life support on.

Tim really needs to open their eyes.

They could be waiting to be picked up by Reapers or floating into a sun or crashing into an asteroid or -- there’s a soft groan to Tim’s left accompanying the laboured breathing of another person.

Dick.

_ no. no. he can’t be here. he can’t be here and hurt because of tim. _

Tim was with Dick this run. Because yes, they were on a run. To the outer planet of Atlantis. Bruce was somehow friends with the king of the peoples there. They were going to pick up a mineral or something? Maybe.

Regardless, Tim should have been able to make the run by themself. It was supposed to be easy -- but they wanted to spend more time with Dick. Wanted to have a few weeks for just the two of them.

They might’ve gotten Dick killed.

_ "----n. Co-----n. S--- desi----ion R30-W---. Come in!" _

That makes them open their eyes. Only for them to grimace in pain at the flashing of the emergency lights. The Redwing has to be in better shape than Tim thought. Because if the comms are working -- staticky and breaking sure -- then not all is lost.

_ “Ship designation R30-WING. Is there anyone still alive over there?” _

Against all -- probable -- odds, yes. Now, Tim just needs to make it to the comms. Harder than it sounds, because they managed to strap in. Not only that, but when they shift their weight, attempting to stand, pain seers across their ribs, nearly knocking them out. How they didn’t notice under the pounding of their head, they don’t know. Because that pain is definitely worse than the others. Regardless, they need to get to the comms. Dick needs medical -- and Tim could probably use it too.

It’s tandem to torture, getting their legs to work properly. There’s a lot of blood, which is making it harder to get their feet under them. But damn the abyss if they aren’t getting it done. Tim’s not letting either themself or Dick die like this.

_ “Ship designation -- fuck it! This isn’t working!”  _ The voice on the other end of the comms sounds so frustrated a laugh bubbles up Tim’s throat.  _ “There’s probably no one alive. Why are we stopping in Reaper territory for a dead ship?”  _ The other person must not have realized they were still on -- or more likely, they just don’t care.

_ “Because, there’s some signal from the ship. With the amount of radiation between us, we can’t tell what it is. Would you want someone to abandon you in the middle of Reaper territory, Greta?” _

_ “Shit. No, but --” _

_ “No buts. If you can’t get a hail, we’ll send out Kon with a few Rovers.” _

Kon. That name sounds familiar.

Something hits the side of the Redwing, jerking the whole ship. Tim gasps silently, choking on their breath, even as Dick lets out a keening cry -- even in his unconscious state he’s in so much pain.

Tim is damn well getting to the comms. They’re going to hail that other ship back and get Dick and themself out of this mess.

_ the fact that they keep slipping on blood even though they’re not where they were first injured just spurs them on. they’re not dying here. _

When they get to the comms, Tim sinks into the chair, undeniably grateful for the support at their back. They flick the comm on, choking on blood before they can get any words out. Well. If they’re going to struggle to talk then they’re going to make sure that they get noticed. The comms have this annoying interference if turned on and off too quickly. So, Tim sets it to a general broadcast and forces their fingers to work quickly, all the while attempting to regain some semblance of control over their breathing and voice.

“Shit! Hey, Cassie-cap, there’s something going on with the other comms!”

No shit. Tim keeps the comms in broadcast, clearing their throat and breathing out through the pain.

“This is,” the inhale the take grinds their ribs together. Tim clenches their teeth. “This is the R30-WING. Captain Richards. Captain Richards speaking.”

Their voice isn’t strong -- but still strong enough to drown out Dick’s laboured breathing -- but it seems to have gone through. Though it takes a few minutes, the other ship responds.

_ “Captain Richards, is it?” _ the captain sounds it out, drawing out the ‘ar’. Tim thinks it has an exasperated undertone to it.  _ “Well, I’m Captain Sandsmark of the Leagues’ K-Class 821, designation Starhope. What’s your status?” _

Kon. Cassie. Sandsmark. No wonder the names and voices sounded familiar.

“Fucked,” Tim laughs, sharp and short. “And, well, I mighta lied. It’s Tim, Cassie.”

There’s a short pause and then -- _ “I kind of figured. Not a lot of people have the balls to come this far out into Reaper territory, and you’re definitely no League sanctioned ship. And, I mean, Richards? Not very original.” _

“Oh, go float yourself,” Tim fights as their lips tug up at the corners. “You gonna help me or not?”

_ “Sure. But you gotta explain to the Council what you were doing out here.” _

“Get Bruce to do it,” Tim’s voice pitches up in a whine. They can’t help it. “I have trauma and my poor baby’s on emergency protocol -- life support.”

_ “Well, shit.” _

Tim’s sentiments exactly.

“Yeah. Yeah.” They breathe, dreading to look at Dick. They hope against all hope that he’s not in too bad of a condition. Can’t bring themself to look at him right in this moment for fear. “Look, I’m not alone. Dick’s here but I can’t. I’m having a hard time as it is. I don’t know how bad he is.  _ Please. _ ”

“ _ Hey, _ ” Cassie’s voice softens. “ _ As soon as you lied to us with that damn false name Kon and Bart were down to the hanger getting the Rovers out to come get you. We’ll get you over here and into a Medtank. _ ”

“Dick,” they choke on a sob. They can rely on Cassie and the rest of the crew. “Dick first, okay?”

_ “Sure, wonder.” _

She probably doesn’t mean that. Whichever of them is in worse shape will get tended to first. Tim hopes it not them if only so that Dick gets seen to first.

Tim looks over to Dick then, eyes trailing over his slack face. It’s bruised in more than a few places and there’s a trail of blood on his right temple. It’s his arm that Tim’s worried about. It’s at an odd angle and as Tim shifts, choking on their breath again, they notice that there’s bone jutting out of the skin. They whimper, wanting to go to him, but there’s no way they can get out of this chair. Not when it took so much effort to get to it in the first place.

_ “Just stay awake, all right? They’re halfway there -- we’ll even tow your little scrap of a ship too.” _

Stay awake.

Yeah, okay. Tim can do that.

Probably.

They focus on Dick’s chest, watching as it rises and falls with his breathing. If Dick’s breathing, he’s alive. He hasn’t left Tim yet. Hasn’t left Tim behind.

_ please don’t go where i can’t follow. _


End file.
